Now that's mah kinda woman!
by Sugar Angel
Summary: Sequel to Family Ties. Rogue gets Bobby back for his cruel joke and a new member causes palpitations for Cannonball
1. Meet Aurora!

Disclaimer: the usual stuff, me no owning, own Aura, enjoy  
  
Please R&R  
  
July 6, 2001  
  
"C'mon, Aurora. You're gonna be late!" Mrs. Winthrop called up the stairs. She rolled her eyes over to her husband and sighed.  
  
"I'm comin', momma!" Aurora looked around her nearly empty room and unzipped her backpack. Walking over to the rented dresser, she pulled out her portable CD player and six books and put them into her bag. She wasn't really interested in going to a school on the other side of the country, but her powers were getting out of hand.  
  
Sitting down on the same, stiff bed she had slept on for the last week, Aurora buried her face in her hands to cry, but nothing came out. She didn't feel sad anymore. Most likely, the waterworks would start again when she got to her new home. She looked up again at the clock. 1:00. Her plane left at two. As she put her shoes on, she telepathically ran a hand through her long brown hair. She placed her sunglasses on her nose, glanced once more around her bare room and left.  
  
She had said good-bye to her little sister, Brandelyne, before her parents had taken the girl the mall so she could shop with her friends. Poor girl, she would have to enter teenager-hood without a mentor. Their brother, Isaiah, had gone off to college that year. But of course, Aurora would come back home occasionally to see how her family was getting along without her.  
  
As Aurora followed her parents out of the ranch style house, she mentally said goodbye to everything. Her father put her baggage in the back of the silver minivan and her mother solemnly got in the passenger seat. The ride to the airport was done in the same manner.  
  
They said goodbye each holding onto a brave smile. But Aurora knew that her mother would start crying on the way home. The Winthrops watched Aurora enter her gate and as Aurora looked back, she realized how old her parents seemed. Not over forty-five, her father had all his hair and it was starting to turn a beautiful silver color. Her mother had large bags under her eyes and Aurora could see them welling up with tears. She handed the flight attendant her ticket and walked down the long, suspended hallway to the giant C-17.  
  
She sat in her window seat, number 194, and looked out the tiny peephole. Sensing movement to her right, she turned around just in time to see the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Black hair fell into his large dark black eyes and high cheekbones jutted up under bronzed skin. He was wearing a blue mesh T-shirt over baggy denim jeans. Aurora's breath caught in her throat as she glimpsed his sculpted body with its toned arms through the revealing garment. As he stored his duffel bag in the overhead compartment, a thorn style arm tattoo peeked out from under the sleeve.  
  
Sitting down in the chair next to her, he said, "Hey chica. What's in the sack?" He pointed to the paper sack sitting in her lap.  
  
"It's just a bunch of candy and gum to make my ears pop while we're gaining altitude. Wanna some?"  
  
"Sure. Got any Juicyfruit?"  
  
Aurora opened a pack and gave him a piece while taking one for herself.  
  
"Name's Harley. Friends call me Ace."  
  
She smiled. Leave it to a man to talk in sentence fragments. "Mine name's Aurora. Aura for short. Where are you going?"  
  
Harley looked sort of surprised by her question. "I'm going to Albany to go see my parents over the summer. I go to college in Pierre."  
  
"Really? I hear is real nice this time of year. I'm going to New York City to…" Realizing that he might be one of those mutant-haters, she decided not to tell him about the School for the Gifted. Instead she lied. "…see a Dido concert."  
  
"Cool. You like her music?"  
  
"No offense, but would I be going to see her if I didn't?"  
  
"I like 'Kid Rock' and 'Linkin Park.' But I can't stand 'Limp Bizkit.'" He made a face that, even though it was to express a negative opinion, made him look even cuter.  
  
Just then, the plane began to taxi down the runway. With her empathy, Aurora could sense Harley tense beside her. Turning back to her window, she activated her powers. Her eyes glowed bright purple behind her dark sunglasses while she silently probed Harley's mind for his fears. Sure enough, number one was flight. She had flown so much, she knew just how to handle the situation.  
  
She slammed down the shade with trembling hands. She took of her sunglasses and turned to him with eyes wide with fear. "Harley, I thought I could do it, but I just cain't."  
  
Harley was shocked by the color of her eyes. "Do what? And what's wrong with your eyes?"  
  
"I'm afraid of heights! If my eyes are purple, it means I'm scared. It's just my contacts. But really Harley, I want off this plane right now."  
  
Harley hid his own fears behind a quirky smile and while he tried to calm Aurora of her fake fears. She kept him busy until she felt the plane level off in the air.  
  
Suddenly, she smiled, carrying out the "Damsel in Distress" act. "You were so brave, Harley. Thank you so much!" She gave him a peck on his cheek. "Well, now that we're in the air, I'm better."  
  
"We're in the air already?" Aurora mentally congratulated herself for her success.  
  
Then the curtains opening drew her attention. They parted and a man of medium height stepped out. He was nearly as handsome as Harley, but in a more childish sort of way. His short brown hair was slicked loosely back, the tips highlighted blonde. His cheeks were moderately pink on his otherwise fair skin. He was dressed like he came from California, but his demeanor said 'I'm a country boy.' To Aurora's surprise he walked right towards them and kneeled in the empty seat in front of her and Harley.  
  
"What's up, dude?" He and Harley exchanged high-fives. "Man, you guys got it made back here." Suddenly he noticed Aurora. "Who's the chick, amigo?"  
  
Aurora recognized a sort of Mexican twang to his voice. Her eyes narrowed. "I'm Aurora. Who the hell are you?" She said, folding her arms in front of her.  
  
Harley looked at her, confused. She had been so nice to him, what encouraged this pissy streak? "Uh, this is Juan. Are you okay?" She looked up at him. "Why are you're eyes brown, now?" He asked.  
  
"Mood lenses. They turn purple when I'm scared, brown, my normal color, when I'm calm, red when I'm pissed and blue when I'm nervous." She sat up straighter, and lifted the window-shade back up. "Hi Juan. I wasn't really mad at you. I was kinda taking my anger at Carlos, my old boyfriend, out on you. I think your voice triggered it."  
  
"What did he do, Aura?" Harley turned to face her as did Juan.  
  
"Well, he was Mexican, too, and he…" Again she had to hide the truth. Carlos was the reason she was in this mess to begin with. She had been so in love with Carlos that she had let her guard down and told him her power. Unfortunately, he was working for the Friends of Humanity. And now she was running. "Well, let's just say he was an asshole, okay?"  
  
"Whoa. Sorry about bringing it up. I didn't know." Harley winced in remorse.  
  
"S'okay, you couldn't have known." Aurora glanced at her watch. "So, Juan, where are you going?"  
  
"Uh…" He and Harley exchanged looks and then Harley cut in.  
  
"He's coming with me to my parents' house," He said.  
  
"Are you guys, you know..?" Aurora asked, then trailed off not wanting to finish the question.  
  
"Uh-uh! There are too many hot chicks out there." Harley answered, "My parents want to see him. We've been buds since third grade."  
  
A stewardess walked up to Juan and said shyly, "Excuse me, sir. But I have to ask you to return to your seat."  
  
Juan flashed the timid stewardess a smile and she blushed. "Sure ma'am." He turned to Harley and Aurora, "See ya later, Ace. Nice meeting ya, Aurora.  
  
Juan sauntered away as Aurora meekly waved good-bye. Then she let out a huge yawn. "How long is this flight anyway, Harley?"  
  
"I hear it's about two ta three hours or so. Why?"  
  
"Because I got like five hours of sleep last night. I think I'll sleep out this flight." She stood up, and leaned over Harley. She then snaked her back so she could see into the overhead compartment. She could see Harley's hand tighten on the armrest and could hear his sharp intake of breath ass he tried to avoid eye contact with her chest. Some of the other male passengers snickered.  
  
"Hey, d'ya want something, too?" Aurora asked Harley.  
  
"I-I'll just t-take a pillow." He replied, swallowing deeply. She handed him one and sat down with her own blanket and pillow. Harley exhaled loudly.  
  
Aurora covered up and smiled to herself. She liked to know that men found her pleasing to look at. Or hard not to look at. In truth, she liked playing with men's minds. But she had her limits. And since older men (early twenties) thought she was older than her fifteen and a half years, she never dated them because most of them had developed ways of getting what they wanted, which was generally further than she was willing, or ready, to go. Giving into fatigue, she drifted to sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
She was dreaming about Heath Ledger when she was pulled out of REM by violent shaking. She opened her brown eyes to look into Harley's intense black ones. He had both hands on her shoulders and had bee trying to wake her up.  
  
Aurora put her hands up in surrender, "What IS it?"  
  
"Last stop, Albany!" a passenger answered.  
  
"We're here already?" Aurora followed the other passengers off the plane, her backpack weighing down one shoulder, her purse the other. She walked into the terminal with Harley and Juan. They stopped next to the luggage tram and picked off the bags that belonged to them. Scanning the crowded airport, Aurora found a man holding up a sign that said "Aurora Winthrop." She turned back to her new friends. "Well, there's my ride," She said pointing to the man. She hugged Juan, then Harley.  
  
"Y'know, Aura. If we weren't meeting on an airplane and heading in different directions, you wouldn't be that bad date." Harley said, pulling out of their embrace.  
  
"Thank you. Well, see y'all later. Thanks for everythang." She picked up her bags and walked over to the strange man. Without a word, he led her to the black automobile and opened the door.  
  
After they both were settled, he started the car. Aurora had never liked silence, so she tried to get the driver into a conversation.  
  
"Nice car ya got here." She said, looking around. It actually was nice. A roll open sunroof, leather upholstery, enough room for her overly long legs, tinted windows, and a backseat control for the radio. Judging from appearances, Aurora would have to say it was a Subaru with redone upholstery. Not receiving any answer from the man up front, she continued. "Could really use one of these things when me an' my family go for a ride."  
  
She paused after a few seconds. Still no answer. "How much did it cost?"  
  
Silence.  
  
Aurora really didn't like people ignoring her. "Listen, buddy. I really hate one way conversations, so if--" She was cut off by a .44 mm pistol shoved in her face.  
  
"Shut yer yap, bitch. Or you're gittin'a face full a lead." She heard a man say before a soaked handkerchief was thrust in her face and she blacked out.  
  
* * *  
  
Aurora was awakened by the sound of metal doors slamming. Opening her eyes, she was met with a cold, steel, very unfamiliar ceiling. Her back throbbed and a blinking collar was locked around her neck. She got up from the metal cot and walked to the door. Trying the handle, she found it moved quite easily and silently.  
  
Out in the hall, there were thousands of people walking back and forth like zombies and a good number of guards were posted up and down the corridor. She silently slipped into the mass of bodies, trying to be inconspicuous while she searched for a way out.  
  
A guard tapped her shoulder and she whirled on him, expecting a battle. He looked surprised, "Prisoner 65816?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Aurora asked.  
  
"Are you prisoner 65816?" He pointed to a metal armband around her forearm. There, a number was etched into the smooth surface. They bracelet had no apparent way of removal, so she guessed it was a tracking device. The bracelet read "65815." 'So I'm a prisoner. Better play along. Maybe I'll be able to escape later."  
  
"I guess so. What do you want?"  
  
"Dr. Trask requests an audience with you. C'mon." He grabbed her arm unceremoniously and dragged her a large office. He nearly her in after announcing her presence.  
  
"So, Aurora. I see that you've met Peter. Don't take his nice-ness to heart. He's new and hasn't been broken down yet." A tall man, probably in his twenties, stood in front of a brick fireplace, his back to her.  
  
"How do you know my name?"  
  
"Oh, I know everything about you. Your powers, your last boyfriend, you name it." He turned around and Aurora was hit by a mental recollection. In her mind, she witnessed the face of everything she had ever met. Then his face came up in her mental bank and she witnessed him.  
  
"Joseph Trask. So you're the bastard that did this to me. I should've known." Aurora glared at him. They had first met at the FOH meeting that Carlos had dragged her to before she knew what he was doing. And before she knew the threat that the FOH posed to her.  
  
"Yes. And oh, by the way, that collar negates your powers. So, I suggest you don't cross me."  
  
"What do you want with me?" Aurora started to stand up until a sharp pain coursed up her arm. The metal armband glowed an evil shade of yellow.  
  
"My sources tell me that you know where the Xavier Institute is located. And the bracelet, while being a tracking device and an identification card, also serves as a torture device which only activates when you think about doing anything that would compromise our mission." He smirked.  
  
"And that mission would be?" Aurora had always hated when the villain revealed his master plan to the heroine, but this time she would try to use it to her advantage.  
  
"You will know all in due time." He turned away from her, which she thought signaled her to take leave.  
  
As she reached the large steel door, he spoke once more, "Your things are in your cell. We checked them for anything that can be used as a weapon. Even though you creatures are freaks of nature, an occupied freak is better than a bored and whiny one."  
  
Once she was roughly thrust back into the titanium cell, she got a good look at her surroundings. She was in a seven by seven foot room. The only furniture was the small metal cot she had woken up on and her suitcases and the walls were covered with padding. A small window up on one wall overlooked a dirt floor on the other side. The door was solid metal with a slide door about eye level that only opened from the inside.  
  
She went over to her suitcases and looked inside. On the top of her clothes was a note. It read:  
  
Dear Aurora,  
  
Hope your plane ride was fun. We just wanted to say that you can come home any time if you need to talk or just want to go to a bike rally or something. We hope that you know that we love you and that it's okay to not feel up to a challenge.  
  
Love,  
  
Mom and Dad  
  
She leaned back and began to cry. 'How can this be happening to me? This place is like a concentration camp. It can't be as harsh as that though, if they let me keep my things. I knew I never should have applied to that school. It had to be a scam.' She thought. Then she remembered something. 'Wait a second. He said that I knew where the institute was which means I still have somewhere to go.' She looked at the note with renewed confidence. 'No, Mom. It's not okay to give up.'  
  
* * *  
  
Aurora was about to crack. She had been captive for over three months now. After lunch everyday, Trask came and asked her where the school was. Her answer was always "no" and he then left the room in a huff. The only other communication with another human was Peter every so often coming in to talk to her about his day. She tried to escape five times already but had foiled by the bracelet. Before she left for New York, she bought a twelve pack of batteries for her CD player and had long since run out of those. She had read the books she had brought at least ten times each. Her whole entertainment supply had been exhausted and she was now left with nothing to do. She was definitely bored.  
  
Now, she lay on her cot and stared at her day planner. She had been keeping track of the days and now it was October the seventeenth. Being bored made Aurora really think about things. She thought about how much she really missed watching television and remembered how she would turn the TV on or off and change the channel using her powers. She rolled onto her back and pointed her finger at the ceiling and concentrated.  
  
A small pooping sound struck the air and a smoky hole, about the size of a marble, appeared in the padding. Aurora stood there, dumbfounded, her finger still pointing upward. Then she concentrated again and covered up the hole.  
  
"Yes!" she rejoiced. Then, remembering Joseph, she quieted down. She could use her powers! For some reason, the collar didn't work on her. She looked her compact. Sure enough, her eyes were purple. She had read somewhere that a certain power negating collar, called the Genosha Collar, worked all the time except on high level mutants. The collar around her neck looked almost exactly like the collar in the book. So that must mean that she was very powerful.  
  
Since she had powers back, she could escape. First, she had to make sure that none of her thoughts leaked out to Joseph, the guards, or the bracelet. She placed her hands on either side of her head and concentrated. She felt her mental shields raise. Now she could plan.  
  
She figured that the codes for the collar would be somewhere in Joseph's study. Tonight she would travel on the astral plane and find the code for hers.  
  
Thursday was almost over and barely anyone paid attention to anybody near the weekend. She would set up a mental image of herself in her room that would go about her normal routine, then she would burn a hole in the wall big enough to get through and then close it up. 'Good thing there ain't any cameras.' She thought.  
  
That night, she laid down on her bed and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she separated from her body and floated upwards. A wave of euphoria overtook her and she floated aimlessly. Then, she shook her head clear of thoughts and focused on the task at hand. She concentrated on the codes and zoned in on a bookshelf in Joseph's office. A certain book caught her eye. It was a plain red book, no writing on it at all, yet her search insisted that it was the one. Opening it, she found that it was hollow. Inside, however, was a tiny memo pad, which upon further investigation turned out to be the reason the feeling was so insistent. She ran her finger down the column until she came to number 65816.  
  
'While being a tracking device, and identification card…' Trask's voice echoed in her head. So that's what the number was for! There had to be thousands of number sequences in the book. But she couldn't worry about them right now. Her astral time was running out and she could liberate the others once she got out of there and found help. She found the code, emitted it to her memory bank and floated back to her cell. Laying down on the cot, she matched her astral self to her physical one. As her bodies joined, Aurora breathed in deeply. Her mission accomplished, she rewarded herself with sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
The following Saturday, Aurora cleaned her room up, putting all her stuff away. She had been saving half of her meals since the resurfacing of her powers and had been keeping them in a garment bag in her suitcase. After dinner, she got her luggage together, clouded everyone's minds to believe she was still there and burned a hole in the wall using psychic fire. Stepping out into the freezing night, she waved goodbye to her prison and sealed the hole back up.  
  
After walking around in the dark woods for awhile, Aurora came across a cave. Going inside, she found it relatively dry and it didn't look as if it had been inhabited for quite some time. The cave was about the size of a small bedroom with a ten foot ceiling. Aurora piled some dry debris that she found scattered around the cave into the center clearing and used more psychic fire to set a spark. The fire both warmed her and allowed her to further search the cave. Etched in the stone near the cave's entrance was a crudely written message. After a few minutes of careful deciphering, she found it to read: Christian Belwolph, borne 1878, at Mėtis Cave, Manitoba Province. She smiled at the sentiment. A child had been born in this very cave hundreds of years ago! It sounded like a boy's name but it was a long time ago and you never knew with these old languages. Obviously this was Mėtis Cave, so she must be in Canada. She stood there a minute wondering why the FoH would choose Canada. Again Trask's words echoed in her mind. The bracelet was a tracking device. They could be looking for her that very minute and she had been just leading them to her.  
  
Settling back in the corner, she got out her compact and turned the collar around to see the dial-pad. She hit the sequence and the collar snapped open. She took it off and rubbed and stretched her neck. Then she noticed a tiny dial on the bracelet. Getting out a sharp pencil, she punched the code into that dial too. The snap opened easily. She stared at the disagreeable objects. Taking two stones, she smashed the collar and bracelet into little pieces. She then walked to the cave opening and threw the scraps far into the woods. If they tried to find her, they would be on a wild goose chase. She glanced at her watch and, seeing that it was nearly eleven o'clock, went to lay next to the fire, using her backpack as a pillow.  
  
* * *  
  
Peter Macmillan walked the halls of the mutant prison, checking on all of the prisoners. He came to the cell of number 65816 and opened the door after knocking. He stepped inside and waited for the door to close before he started telling Aurora about his day. He looked at his watch. 9:00. She was normally very talkative at this time, but now, she was silent. He turned around to face her.  
  
"Aurora?" She just stared at him smiling. He advanced toward her. "Aurora?" he repeated. He reached a hand out to shake her shoulders. His hands passed straight through. Her smile disappeared and so did half of the wall, her suitcases, and her.  
  
Peter hastily got his walkie-talkie out. "We've got a problem."  
  
"Roger that. What's your location?" A voice crackled out.  
  
"The troublemaker's room. Bring the boss." Aurora had given them immense trouble, never staying in the designated wings. The head guard was at the door in a matter of minutes with Dr. Trask.  
  
Trask examined the hole. A slow smile spread across his face. Peter walked over to stand next to him.  
  
"What made it?" He asked. Joseph's smile was gone instantly.  
  
"A very powerful freak of nature. She would have served our cause very well if you idiots hadn't allowed her to escape." Joseph grabbed Peter by the collar and lifted him off the ground. Peter spurted incomprehensibly. Joseph continued, "Take five of your best guards, Sergeant Gallen. Follow her signal and find her. Do not try to capture her on your own. She is too strong. Contact us and we will send our new sentinels. Now go." He threw Peter toward the door and he scrambled out the door.  
  
"But what if she removes the equipment and our signal is lost?" Gallen asked.  
  
"Not to worry. I implanted a bug in her ankle that is undetectable to any system known to man. Just follow that one and quit wasting time." Sgt. Gallen saluted smartly and hurried out of the room.  
  
* * *  
  
Aurora woke early in the morning. After eating breakfast, she didn't know what to do having not been unsupervised in such a long time. She decided that the best thing to do would be to notify the School of her position. But how? She had only a vague idea of what the school looked like and she had to be ready to run at a moment's notice. She decided that her best bet would be to focus in on a mental picture, the one from the brochure, and see what came from it.  
  
She settled herself in a corner and sat yoga style. She rubbed her temples and formed a picture of the school as best as she could. Her bodies separated once more and she was suddenly walking along a great hall. Lockers lined both walls and the small number of people walking along it told her that class was in session. As she passed a classroom, she felt someone thinking about her. She passed through a door and found herself inside a tidy room with plants, chalkboards, and bookshelves lining three of the four walls. A beautiful white-haired African-American woman was teaching a bunch of normal looking kids, with the exception of a few, which appeared to be Studio Art. She heard her name again and focused in on the source. The thought led her to a blonde boy of about seventeen sitting next to a girl with freckles and frizzy red hair. His eyes were a mixture of blue and green and tended to switch from one to the other. He looked a little lost in his thoughts, sitting there on the stool in front of an easel in his baggy pants and red T-shirt opened over a white undershirt. He was pretty buff from what showed. She couldn't tell why he was thinking about her, but decided to take his body and get someone to help her. She sat on top of him and moved her body to match his.  
  
The boy uttered something along the lines of "What the hell?" as they stood up and walked out of the classroom, the teacher following them for a little bit, threatening to give him detention if he "didn't sit his but down that second." Once the woman had given up and went back to the classroom, Aurora ordered the body to go to the man in charge.  
  
"What do ya want with the Professah?" A disembodied voice, apparently from the original occupant of the body asked.  
  
"Who's the professor?" She asked back.  
  
"The guy in charge. Who are you?"  
  
"Listen. There's no time for small talk. I need help."  
  
"The X-men can help you." The voice said.  
  
"And…Who are they?"  
  
"They're a group of mutants who use their powahs fer good. Ah'm one of 'em. So Ah kin prob'ly git them ta help ya."  
  
"I don't need HELP. I need someone to help me get here."  
  
"But ya are here."  
  
"Only mentally. Not physically."  
  
"Okay. What do ya need me ta do?" The voice asked. This was going to be easier than Aurora expected.  
  
"I'll let your body go and you go tell this professor about me. Then tell him that I'm in Mėtis Cave in Manitoba, Canada. If he wants my exact coordinates, he can analyze the area around you. That's where I'll be." With that, she stopped walking while the boy kept on going and their bodies parted. She floated behind him. He came to a door and walked in. A bald man in a strange yellow wheelchair was teaching a class of about five students.  
  
"Professah? Ah need ta speak ta ya." The boy wrung his hands together.  
  
"Okay, Sam." The man turned back to his class, "Your homework is to do page sixty through sixty-two, numbers one through five on each. You are dismissed."  
  
The students got up to leave. One, a pretty girl with black hair and a high forehead, flipped her hair and batted her eyelashes in Sam's direction before leaving. Aurora watched Sam as he rolled his eyes and turned back to the Professor. "Um, Ah don't know how ta say this but, mah body was just taken over by someone else." Aurora slapped her forehead. How stupid that sounded!  
  
"Are you yourself again?" The professor asked as if this sort of thing happened all the time.  
  
"Yes sir. But she, at least Ah think it was a she, wanted us to take it here. It said it was in Canada."  
  
"I see. Where in Canada did it say it was?"  
  
"Ah think it was Mėtee Cave. Somewhere in Manitoba."  
  
"Mėtee Cave. I've never heard of it."  
  
"She also said that you could analyze the air around me to find her true coordinates." The professor closed his eyes and placed his fingers on his temples. A familiar purple glow formed at the crown of his forehead. He was a telepath like her! He turned in her direction.  
  
"Hello young lady. How are you today?" Aurora was surprised. No one had ever been able to see her before. She quickly slipped back into Sam's body.  
  
"I'm fine, but my body might not be. I have been away too long. I really should be getting back." She started to release Sam.  
  
"Wait. Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Aurora Winthrop. I was suposta be here about three months ago, but I was taken to this sort of mutant concentration camp. I just escaped a little while ago."  
  
He was quiet for a while. "Alright, Aurora. I have found your coordinates and we will be there shortly. Go back now and defend your body. I sense a sinister force approaching." He opened his eyes and the glow disappeared. This news shocked her so much that she withdrew from her host body and went back to hers without saying goodbye.  
  
When she got over the initial nausea of going that fast, she dared to venture outside her cave. She saw a shadow in the forest and went to collect her things. She kicked the ashes and firewood around the cave to make it seem natural. Running back outside, she found a branch from a pine tree and swept it on the floor to disguise her footprints as she backed out of the cave. Grabbing up her stuff again, she ran.  
  
She could hear something pursuing her. She realized how far away she was going from the coordinates she had given the professor a started to turn gently while running on. Suddenly, she ran right through the center of a large clearing and tripped.  
  
On her hands and knees, she sat in the middle of the clearing. Sensing them closing in, she stood up and began generating balls of psychic fire in her hands. A man charged at her and she threw one in his direction. He hit upon a tree and slumped to the ground, unconscious. Another man, enraged at his ally's defeat ran at her and received the same treatment. More and more her strength faded as she fought.  
  
"I sure hope they get here soon," she voiced verbally. 


	2. Alpha female

Disclaimer: see chapter one.  
  
"Ah'm gonna kill 'im!" Angela screamed as she slammed the French doors into the kitchen open. Wrapping a flannel shirt tightly around her, she leaned against the wall and tried to catch her breath. Hearing snickering, she looked up through her wet hair and noticed Remy, Logan, and Scott sitting at the kitchen island, trying not to laugh.  
Standing up and heading over to the sink, she said, "What the hell are ya'll laughin' 'bout?" She tried to dry of her shirt.  
"We jus' concerned about your pre'dic'men', chere. Wh' happened?" Remy asked, a rich smile spreading across his face.  
"Really, darlin'. And why are ya wearin' my shirt?" added Logan.  
"Bobby happened," Angela said in reply to both of their questions, "Ah walked out this mornin' t'check mah roses, when Bobby pops outta nowhere an' splashes me wi' a bucket a' ice cold water!"  
"That still don't explain the reason fer all the flannel." Logan retorted.  
Angela gave him a cold glare and said, "The reason Ah'm wearin' this is because, somehow, Bobby knew Ah wouldn' be wearin' a bra today."  
"So?" All the guys replied in unison.  
"Oh, come on. Ya'll can't tell me that ya actually don't know. 'Specially you, Remy. Ah know ya've been in a coupl'a water fights in yo' tahme." Angela rolled her eyes.  
"Their nipples get hard," Bobby said, coming in from outside, a triumphant smile on his face. "That, joined with a white T-shirt," he made his hands look like a box and stared at Angela's torso through it, "instant x-ray vision. Unfortunately, it only lasted until Angie here grabbed one of Logan's flannels off the clothesline and ran in here." He chuckled, "Wait till I tell the guys about this."  
Angela was next to him faster than any of the men could react. She grabbed Bobby by the collar and lifted him an entire foot off of the ground, "Why wait when Ah kin kill ya now?" She said through clenched teeth.  
"Angela." Cyclops warned.  
Keeping her hand firmly wrapped around Bobby's collar, Angela dutifully dropped the teenager and said, "Watch yo' back, Bobby. When ya least expect it, Ah'll be playin' chutes 'n laddas with yer insides. Now go." She released him and walked back to the sink.  
"Remind me to never get you mad," Logan said, the last bite of toast disappearing into his mouth.  
"Well, I'm gonna go find Bobby before he gets into more trouble. Logan, you coming?" Cyclops got up and put his dish in the dishwasher. "Yeah, sure. Ya comin' Cajun?" Wolverine asked Gambit.  
"No, I'm gonna stay here fo' a bit."  
"Suit yerself, Gumbo."  
By then, Angela had taken off the over-shirt and turned the tank top around so that the dry part of was on her front. Gambit stood behind her and then wrapped his arms around her stomach.  
"Wanna go do something before I gotta go teach some kids parler Francais?" He asked, kissing her neck.  
She turned around in his arms and placed both hands on his chest. "Sorry Remy. Me an' my momma are gonna spend some time together at the mall. Ah'm just gonna go change now." She kissed him soundly on the lips and walked down to the main hall.  
  
Angela unlocked her bedroom door and stepped in. Her roommate, Oriana Spencer, walked out of the adjoining bathroom, toweling her hair.  
"Late night?" Oriana asked. She was a senior, too, and also Angela's best friend outside of the X-men. Oriana's power was to dry things rapidly. Angela watched Oriana's hair become dry and bouncy as she shook her head around.  
"Do ya mind, Ori?" Angela pointed to the back of her T-shirt. Oriana placed a finger on her friend's shoulder blade and the tank top was instantly dry.  
"What happened?" Ori asked.  
"Bobby."  
"You mean that dorky kid in our English class. I remember that time you went on a road trip together. How did you begin to hang out anyway?" She asked. Oriana didn't know who was on the X-men, just like everyone else.  
"Ah guess you could call it a hazard of th' trade." Angela cracked.  
Ori's expression didn't change. "You sure have been acting strange these last few months, Rogue. Are you okay?"  
Angela looked at her friend. Oriana had jet-black hair and her steel gray eyes blended into her pale skin. She remembered something.  
"Oh my gosh!" I totally forgot to tell you something!" Angela dragged Oriana over to her bed and sat down with her. Oriana flinched when Angela took off her gloves and held her hand. Her eyes widened.  
"Holy crap, Rogue! You can touch?"  
"Mrs. Summers taught me. That's why I've been acting so strange. And Dr. McCoy found out that Mister and Misses Summers are my parents!"  
"Are they really that old?"  
"I guess so." Angela lied. Civilians weren't supposed to know about X- dealings and Oriana wouldn't understand the significance of Mr. Sinister's interference. "Please call me Angela or Angie or something along those lines, but not Rogue."  
"That's fine with me. So, where we you last night?"  
Angela turned her head away, thinking. Then, just as quick, she turned back to her friend, grinning wildly. Oriana shifted excitedly. "Okay," Angela said. "Ah'll tell you as long as you promise not to tell anybody."  
Oriana held up her left hand and put her right hand over her heart. "I solemnly swear, by the hotness of Brad Pitt, that I will only tell people who you allow me to tell. Now tell me!"  
"Last night, I slept in Remy's room."  
"Mr. Lebeau?" Couldn't you get in, like, major shit for sleeping with a teacher?" Oriana raised her eyebrow.  
"For one thing, we did not 'sleep' together. We just shared a bed," Angela said, "Plus, Ah've known Remy since way before he started teachin' an' we been datin' for most of the time Ah've known him."  
"Ok. Hey, is it alright if Darren comes over today?" Darren was Oriana's fiancé.  
"Sure, Ah'll be out until lunch anyway. Jean an' me are going to the mall. Want me to pick up anything for ya?"  
"Just some double A's."  
"Okay." Angela threw an over shirt on and grabbed her purse. "See ya lata'."  
  
Sam Guthrie set his bags down next to the easel he had claimed since the beginning of the year. Art was his favorite class since it was one of the only classes that he was free from Lauri's attention. His friend, Electra Gemini, sat down in the easel next to his. She handed him a note when the bell rang. Opening it, he read, "Hey Hayseed. Me and Tor found the perfect girl for you. She works at the coffee house down on eighth. She is totally for the whole mutant thing too. You should call her. 555-1708." Sam smiled at his friends' persistence.  
He looked up from his note and found Ms. Munroe lecturing the class on the importance of texture. He learned about this last year so he let himself drift into his thoughts. He knew who Electra was talking about and he had always thought of the girl as being too self-centered. As he folded up the note, he had the feeling that he was being watched. Looking around quickly, he dismissed the feeling as just being paranoid. Suddenly, it felt as if the breath was pulled from his body and he blacked out. When he came to, he was standing in front of the Professor's office with no memory of what had happened or how he had gotten there, just the urgent sense that he was to see the school's founder immediately. He opened the door to find five students sitting in front of Xavier's desk.  
"Professah?" He began to pop his knuckles, "Ah need ta speak ta ya."  
Xavier's eyes focused on him. Ordinarily Sam would never barge in without knowing he was in the right. Seeing the tension and worry on the young man's face, Xavier turned to his students. "Your homework is to do pages sixty through sixty-two, numbers one through five on each. You are dismissed."  
Sam watched the students leave. He mentally groaned as he noticed an ex-girlfriend of his toss her hair in his direction. He would have found that attractive, him being a sucker for hair, had it been anyone except for her: Lauri. When he had been with her, he would have done anything to please her. He used his X-men salary to buy expensive gifts for her. He had even gone so far as to change his entire look for her; he cut his hair how she liked and dressed preppy. After awhile, his friends finally convinced him that she was just using him and he dumped her. His hair grew out again and he became much more picky. He looked up in time to see Lauri bat her eyes at him. He rolled his eyes and faced the professor.  
"Is everything alright? You seem different." The professor rolled forward to meet him.  
"Yeah, Ah'm fine. It's just, Ah don't know how to say this so don't laugh, Ah think mah body was possessed for a little while back there." He placed his hand on his forehead.  
"Are you yourself again?" Xavier asked. Sam nodded and his mouth, out of it's own volition, began to tell them both what had happened. It seemed to Sam as if his mouth had been wound up to a breaking point and now it was let loose. When he was done, Xavier activated his powers and turned to face a spot to Sam's left.  
"Hello young lady. How are you today?" The breath was pushed out of Sam's lungs again and when he came to, the professor was longer using his powers. Instead, he was on the intercom.  
"All classes are dismissed for the rest of the day. There will be no after school activities. All X-men report to my office immediately. Everyone else may go back to their dormitories."  
  
The professor looked around at his team. "This is a mission for seven of you. It will be to enter enemy territory and retrieve a hostage. We have suspected that she was stolen from us for a while. Your target's name is Aurora Winthrop." A thump, as of a body hitting the ground, was heard and Beast lifted Sam from where he had fainted.  
"See that he be taken to the infirmary. The following X-men are expected to be suited up and in the hanger in ten minutes: Cyclops, Psylocke, Gambit, Beast, Iceman, Wolverine, and Storm. The rest of you may resume what you were doing or join your fellow students in the dorms."  
  
The Blackbird landed with its usual man-made grace and the seven X-men exited the large aircraft. They found themselves in a remote part of Canada, facing a cave. A light dusting of snow lay on the ground.  
"I don't get it," Cyclops said to Beast and Storm after the other X- men had left to explore. "We're at the correct coordinates. There's just nothing here."  
Just then, Iceman jogged out of the cave. "Maybe you guys better take a look at this." He panted. After catching his breath, he led them into the cave.  
The whole thing looked as though someone had tried very hard to make it look like they hadn't been there. Branches that had been used to sweep away tracks were strewn about. Bare-footed footprints were hastily covered up. Wolverine squatted down and sniffed. "Smells girly. She couldn'a gone far."  
"Wolverine, you take Gambit and follow her scent. We'll stay and look for more clues." Cyclops said.  
Bobby circled the cave and found some writings on the wall. He called it to Betsy's attention. She read it to herself, "This is what the Professor was tawking about when he gave us our position. Metis Cave. What would the FoH want in Canada?"  
  
As Wolverine and Gambit left the cave, Wolverine pulled a cigar out of a pouch on his belt. He sliced the end of it off with a claw, and then held it out to Gambit.  
"Ya mind?" he asked.  
"No prob." Gambit charged one end of the card and made a homemade lighter. He held it out to Logan who took it and held the cigar to the flame. Shaking out the flame and putting the cigar into his mouth, he breathed in deeply, taking the smoke into his lungs.  
"Want one?" he asked.  
Gambit shook his head. "Naw, gave it up fo' her."  
"Yeah, I heard you two were real close last night." He took another puff. "She's been hurt too many times, Cajun. The majority by you. If it happens again, she ain't comin' back. Ya betta be serious this time."  
"I know. I don't wanna lose her again." Gambit stopped talking when he noticed that his compatriot was no longer beside him. He spotted the man up in a tree to his left. Gambit watched as Wolverine pressed his COM button, spoke into it, then flipped down from his perch. Landing like a cat, he put his finger to his lips. He jerked his thumb to his right and Gambit followed his lead.  
As they walked, Gambit began to hear sounds ahead. At Logan's signal, they began to sprint. At last, they came to a huge clearing and ran inside.  
  
A big, purple fireball flew at Logan's chest. It threw him against an evergreen. Another fireball flew towards Gambit but he ducked it and ran to help his teammate. He held out his hand to Logan and looked to the center of the clearing.  
A woman stood there, surrounded by what appeared to be a purple bubble. The same fireballs that had attacked them were forming at her wrists and being thrown at the advancing humans.  
"What the hell was that for?" Wolverine threw off Gambit's hand and stood up, holding his head. Another fireball came at them. They dodged it and it disappeared.  
"She don't reco'nize us as de good guys." Gambit noticed a man running up behind the woman while his partner kept her busy in the front. Gambit charged a card at the human and he flew back from the impact. As the woman finished off the man in front of her, a strange robot landed. It looked like a Sentinel, but its skin was made of a silver material that glinted blindingly in the sunlight. It knelt down and looked at her as it raised its hand to shoot her.  
"Target: mutant. Come peacefully or with force." The robot read of in its monotone voice. The laser in its palm charged up with an orange glow.  
The woman looked at it defiantly. Then she allowed a smirk to cover her mouth. She raised her hands in what seemed to be a gesture of surrender until they went over her head and forward. The bubble surrounding her grew and separated from her to slam into the robot. It tore away at the metal skin and unbalanced him. Just before the Sentinel fell back into the trees, the laser shot from its palm and burned the back of her calf. She clasped it with both hands and winced. Gambit attempted to help her but Wolverine held him back.  
As more Sentinels landed, she stood tall and choked back the pain. Now that the haze didn't surround her, Gambit got a good look at her. She was tall, of medium build. A tattered skirt drifted around her waist and a thin top barely protected her from the sudden onset of winter. Long purple hair floated on top of her backpack. She faltered a bit on her feet that were uncovered in the snow.  
Gambit heard running behind him and turned around to find the rest of his team joining them. At Cyclops' signal, everyone ran towards the Sentinels and began to fight. Seeing the coming up, the woman fled the clearing.  
Unfortunately, everyone was already engrossed in defeating the Sentinels so the only one to notice her was Gambit. He took off after her into the woods.  
Her could see her limping up ahead and quickened his pace. He heard a yelp and the footsteps in front of him stopped. Continuing, he came upon her.  
She was on the ground, her foot jammed under a fallen log. As he approached her, she looked up at him with purple eyes and clenched her hands into fists in front of her face. Opening them, she formed a new, smaller bubble around her. As he watched, the bubble flickered and went out. Her eyes widened and the pupils disappeared into a sea of violet.  
"Xavier." she gasped, going limp.  
Gambit checked her pulse and loosened her foot from under the log. Draping his coat over her, he gathered her into his arms.  
Back at the clearing, everyone was examining the fallen Sentinel. As Gambit came into view, Beast rushed up to him.  
"Is the girl?" He asked, taking her from Remy and laying her on the ground, the trench coat beneath her.  
"I guess so. Before she fainted, she said 'Zave'yer'" Gambit shrugged.  
  
"Judging by the damage she did to the Sentinels, she must be ten times more powerful than we thought." Storm mused. "I'd say she'd be a double- Alpha at least. Why, if she joined the X-men, she'd be the youngest member to join the Gold Team."  
"She don't look dat old t' me. She couldn'a be more dan twen'y." Gambit put in.  
"Actually her record says she's only fifteen."  
"She'll be one of his adoring fans sooner or later." Bobby cracked. 'Man,' he thought 'too bad Hayseed couldn't be here to see this.'  
Beast pried open one of the comatose girl's eyelids. Everyone gasped when they noticed that she had no pupils. Her ankle was also twisted at a strange angle. "Her ankle is broken. And she has third degree burns on the back of her leg. We need to get her back to the ship, quickly," Beast noted. "If we don't do it soon, we'll have no chance of speeding up the healing process of removing any scars afterward."  
  
When they pulled into the hanger at five PM, a stretcher was waiting for them. All the team members that had gone on the mission followed the stretcher to the infirmary. Cecilia and Beast moved the girl to the bed next to the bed that Sam was laying on. Sending the other out, they quickly set her ankle and put it in a cast, using a special healing cream given to the school by Lilandra. They also smeared some of it on the burns on the back of her leg. While Cecilia got the girl ready for bed, Beast checked Sam's vitals. Noting that the boy was now just sleeping, he unhooked the machines.  
"Um, Hank?" Cecilia came out of the adjoining room. "I think you had better have a look at this."  
She led him into the lab where she had done a last screening of Aurora with a device known to the Shi'ar as the Separator. It checked for any foreign substances in a human's system. This time it had found a tiny chip in Aurora's ankle. Hank extracted it with a scalpel, being careful not to hit any blood vessels, and then sewed it back up with some sutures. Holding it between a pair of tweezers, he examined it closely.  
"Should we destroy it?" Cecilia asked.  
"Yes, but not here. If it is here, whoever planted this will have evidence of where we are. I will send someone out to the city to attach it to a dog or something." Hank placed it in a plastic baggie. They went back out to where to beds were and laid her back in hers. Hank connected the machines up to her and closed the curtain surrounding her. Cecilia and Beast turned off the lights and shut the door behind them. 


	3. She's finally here?

Little note:  
Shadowflame- Aurora is from Sturgis, SD. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Caliente- Thanx that's so sweet! I love twists don't you? I hope you like the update!  
  
With the morning sun streaming in through the windows, Sam couldn't stay asleep any longer. He opened his eyes and rolled over to look at his clock. Unfortunately, the clock wasn't there, so rolled over again. 9:00, it said.  
"Oh, no. Ah'm late!" He said, standing up. He felt a breeze at his back and noticed that he was in a hospital gown and the back was wide open. He looked around and realized that he was in the school's infirmary.  
He saw that one of the bed curtains was drawn and moved over forward to open it. As he looked down at the bed, he gasped.  
Aurora was on her side, one arm under her pillow, the other laying in front of her. She was toward him so he could see all her features. Her hair was mainly brown now with only some streaks left of the purple of the night before. Stray leaves and twigs were tangled in the mass, yet he still thought that she was beautiful.  
"Oh, wow." he breathed. He reached out to touch her face but pulled back quickly when he heard the door open. Suddenly, the other side of the curtain was pushed open be Beast.  
"Good morning, Samuel." Beast said, "Oh, I see you've met Aurora. She's only a year younger than you. And she is being considered for position on the Gold Team. Maybe Xavier can introduce you later. " He handed Sam a robe.  
He stopped when he noticed Sam's face turning red. "You know Sam, I could really use some help right now. Would you mind staying behind for awhile and helping me change Aurora's dressings?"  
"Her w-what?" Sam asked, his eyes widening.  
"Her dressings. She has burns on her leg."  
"Oh," Sam exhaled. "Yeah, Ah kin stay for a while."  
As they replaced the gauze, Beast started a conversation.  
"You do know that you fainted, correct?"  
"Ah-Ah think so. Ah don't know why though." Sam replied.  
"If I heard correctly, your energy was used considerably during the occupation and it exhausted your system. You held out until the conference, then you just needed to replenish." Beast said, opening Aurora's eyes. "Seems like she had to too."  
"What do ya mean?"  
"Well, when we found her, she was using her powers a lot. Her hair was completely purple as where her eyes, which had no pupils. She's been out since 5-last night. Now, most of the purple has drained out of her hair and her eyes. She should wake up in a couple of hours."  
"That's good." He said, staring at her face. "Which dorm is she in? Cuz' Ah could tell ya who ta intra'duce er to."  
"I believe she is in the East Wing, room 101. Do you know where that is?"  
"Do Ah know where that is? Of course Ah do. It's the room right next to mine. Let's see. Her roommate is Nyah Lee and just down the hall are the rooms Tori Fallon and Electra Gemini share."  
"I will let the Professor know. They are excellent people; I am sure they would be great guides for her when she starts school. There." He said, putting the last piece of gauze into place. "That's the last of it. If I am not mistaken, you have been excused from your classes for today. I suggest you go up to your room and work on your assignments.  
  
* *  
*  
  
At about noon, Aurora's empty stomach woke her up. As a force of habit, she kept her eyes closed as she assessed her situation. She felt a hard mattress beneath her, and, smelling antiseptics, realized that she was back in the concentration camp. With her eyes still closed, she began to tear up.  
"Good morning, Aurora." A familiar and foreboding male voice boomed.  
Frightened, she began to whimper and pulled the thin sheet over her head. "Go away. You can't keep me here, Joseph. I'll run away again, I swear."  
"What did you say?" Beast stepped up to the girl's bed and pulled the covers down. Aurora looked up into his blue furred face and jumped off the bed, screaming, trying to run away. Her injured ankle buckled underneath her. Crying out in pain, she huddled against the wall, trying to escape the advancing doctor. She wrapped her tattered skirt around her.  
"Get the hell away from me!" She screamed, holding her hand out in front of her. Long spikes, the same color and material as the earlier fireballs, jutted out of the tips of her fingers.  
"You mustn't use your powers. You are still recovering. I just want to know what you said."  
"I said that I'll run away again." She lowered her hand but still stared at him defiantly.  
"Why would you say that?" Beast settled into a chair.  
"Because I thought you were Joseph when you asked if I were awake."  
"I didn't say anything."  
She looked confused but still answered, "Oh. well then. It must have been my imagination." She heard faint mocking laughter. Beast was sitting still. "If I'm not back at the camp, then where am I?"  
Beast walked over to the window. Upon opening it, the stark infirmary was flooded with the yellow light. He lifted the glass and soon the room was also full of laughter and sounds of joy from outside where a game of kickball had been started with the younger children. "You are in New York," he began, "At the Xavier School for the Gifted."  
Aurora slowly got up from the floor and limped heavily to the open window. There was no screen so she stuck her hand out and felt the cool breeze hit her skin. "Y-you mean I'm finally here?" She asked meekly. Beast nodded and watched as her lower lip began to quiver. She put her hand to her face as she sank to the ground and began to sob, happily. Hank sat beside her and pulled her into his arms to comfort her. She buried her face in his fur and cried until all she could do was sit quietly, hiccupping.  
The door opened and Cecilia walked in. Noticing the huddled figures, she hurried to them. "Is everything alright?" she asked them.  
"Everything is perfect, Cecilia. I want you to meet our newest student. This is Aurora Winthrop." He held her out so she could see the other doctor. Beast stood up and then helped Aurora to stand as well. After the women shook hands, Beast said, "Well Aurora, I'm sure you would like to get cleaned up and have something to eat. How about Cecilia takes you up to your room and then you can meet me down in the cafeteria."  
  
* * *  
  
Aurora looked on quietly as Cecilia led her to the elevator. When they arrived at her floor, she followed the older woman down a long hall. People passing them waved to the doctor and raised their eyebrows at Aurora.  
She noticed a boy walk out of a room. He had brown hair and was well built.  
"Hey Dr. Reyes." He waved to Cecilia.  
"Hi, Bobby. Have you meet Aurora?" She gestured behind her.  
"Yeah," Bobby said, "I was on the mission to bring her here."  
"You're in room 103, right? And Sam's in 102?"  
"Yeah."  
"Is Sam here?"  
"No he already left for lunch. Why?"  
"Because this is your new neighbor. I wanted him to meet her. Oh well. Right now she needs to get cleaned up." They said good-bye and opened the door. As Aurora stared around at the boxes, Cecilia asked, "What do you want to do first?"  
"If you don't mind, I'd kinda like to take a shower. Unfortunately, I don't have anything to change into. I-is this entire room mine?" Aurora asked, swinging her arms out.  
"This half is. There's another room on the other side of the bathroom."  
"So the only thing I share is the bathroom?"  
"Also the balcony. Don't worry; the bathroom is pretty big. There's one shower, one toilet, and two sinks."  
"Cool. So how do ya'll support this place?" Aurora asked, wandering curiously over to a box labeled "Clothes." Opening it happily, she took out an outfit.  
"Well, we get some funding from the government. They think that we're a private school. People also volunteer as janitors and maids and chefs, which helps out too. Plus, Professor has a large trust fund from his childhood."  
"I'm gonna go take my shower now. It shouldn't take very long. I'm sorry there ain't any chairs for you to sit on." She headed for the bathroom. Then, suddenly, she paused. "Do you think my roommate will mind me using her soaps and stuff?"  
"I don't think so. I would, however, lock the entrance to her room. She has had the bathroom to herself for so long, she just might walk in." Cecilia smiled reassuringly. Aurora smiled back and closed the door behind her. When Cecilia heard the shower turn on, she headed out into the hall. She knew that Nyah Lee grabbed something for lunch and came back to her room to watch her soap opera. It being 11:54, she knew that the girl would be upstairs soon.  
Right on cue, the elevator opened and a girl of about fourteen ran out. She had dark, Korean skin with blue, almond shaped eyes. She was tall for her age and was wearing a turquoise plaid mini-skirt and a black sleeveless turtleneck. She jogged toward her dorm, nearly knocking Cecilia over.  
"Oh, I'm sorry Dr. Reyes," she said, while helping Cecilia get her balance. "Did you need to talk to me?"  
"Actually I do." Cecilia followed Nyah into her tidy room.  
"What did you want to ask me?" Suddenly, Nyah stopped in her tracks, "Where is that sound coming from?"  
"What sound?"  
"That water running. It's coming from the bathroom." Nyah padded softly toward the door.  
"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."  
"You know who's in there?"  
"It's your new roommate." The shower turned off.  
"Really!" Nyah squealed, clapping her hands. "She's finally here?!"  
"Yes she is. But, she's been in a mutant concentration camp for the past three months. So help her slowly transition back into school, okay?" Cecilia heard Aurora's voice calling to her. Not waiting for an answer from Nyah, Cecilia walked back into the adjoining room.  
In front of her stood Aurora, clothed in a pair of flares that were a little too big, and a horizontally striped blue top. She stepped into a pair of old tennis shoes as Cecilia walked in.  
"Are you ready?" Aurora nodded her head, wringing out her hair.  
"But first," Cecilia gestured toward Nyah, "I want you to meet your new roommate. Nyah this is Aurora. Aurora, Nyah."  
The two girls waved meekly to each other. Cecilia clapped her hands together once and said, "Well Aurora, how about we go down and meet Beast, okay? We'll se you later Nyah."  
  
Well, that's the 3rd chapter. Hope you like it! Oh and by the way, if you read and don't review, I WILL find out and I WILL find YOU! Thanx! = * _ * = 


	4. What he deserves

They headed down to the kitchen and sat down by Beast who had already gotten meals out for them. As Aurora had been drug about by Cecilia, she thought she saw someone she recognized. While looking around the room, her eyes had for a second locked with the eyes of a familiar young man with blonde hair. He was sitting at a table with two redheaded girls, an African- American man with cornrows, and the boy Aurora had already been introduced to, Bobby. All through lunch, her mind continued to wander back to back to why the blonde boy was so familiar.  
After finishing their hamburgers, the doctors went back to their research, leaving Aurora to find her room alone. Walking down the locker- lined hallways, she almost jumped when the bell rang and students began to pile back into their respective classrooms. She must have looked confused for a voice came from behind her, "You lose yo' way to class, Petit'?"  
"Not exactly." She said turning around. She stared into red on black eyes set on a well-chiseled face. Then she exclaimed. "It's you!"  
Gambit grinned and said, "Last time I checked. Not sure I know what you mean though. Care t' enlighten?"  
"You're the dude that chased me through the forest."  
"My name's Remy. An' ya never t'anked me for it. Othe'wise you might neva gotten here." He outstretched his hand.  
"Mine's Aurora. And thanks, too. Would you by any chance know where the elevator is?"  
"Jus' down de hall."  
"Thanks again. It was nice meeting you."  
Up in her room, Aurora began to assemble her furniture. Just as she was hanging up the last of her clothes, the phone rang. She headed for the phone, glancing at the clock as she went. She had been working for nearly four hours.  
"Hello?" she said, picking up the receiver.  
"Someone will be up shortly to take you to the professor." A voice on the other line said and then Aurora heard the dial tone.  
She hung up and continued to clean until she heard a knock on the door. A man who was slightly taller than she greeted her. He had brown hair and wore a visor over his eyes.  
He held his hand out to her, "I'm Scott."  
"Aurora." She warily put her hand into his. "Are you the one who is supposta take me to the 'professor?'"  
"That's me."  
  
Aurora had an odd sense of dÄja vu as she stood before the massive oak doors. As she walked through them, she glanced around her. Once again, the man was sitting in his wheelchair behind a large desk. He wheeled forward to meet her.  
"Hello, Aurora. My name is Professor Xavier. If you will sit down, I would like to ask you a few questions." He gestured to the chairs facing his desk.  
After they had gotten comfortable, the Professor began his interrogation. "How exactly would you describe your powers exactly?"  
Feeling Scott's eyes on her, she said, "All I know is that they have to do with my mind. It's also kinda aesthetic."  
"How so?"  
"Well, some of my powers don't work unless I either do a little dance or concentrate really hard. Since dancing is easier in tough situations, I tend to choose that over that latter."  
"Would you mind doing a small demonstration for me? Nothing big, we'll get to those later."  
"Okay." She looked around for a second, "May I use your desk? I won't blow it up or anything." The professor motioned Aurora forward. She placed her hand on the desktop and held it there for a few seconds. When she lifted it up, the spot where her hand had been was now see through. Scott and Xavier looked down in wonder.  
"If you look underneath, it should still be solid. It's like one of those two-way mirrors."  
Xavier backed his chair up and Scott peered underneath the desk. "Wow," he said, touching the desk.  
"If you will follow me down to the gym, "Xavier said, wheeling out the doors. "I would like to show you something."  
  
Angela curled up with her oldest dog-eared romance novel into an overstuffed armchair in the Rec room. She had not been reading very long when strong arms lifted her and she was placed on a masculine lap.  
"Dinner should be ready in a bit."  
Angela looked into red-on-black eyes and smiled. "Ya know, ya're even more annoyin' now that Ah kin control mah powahs."  
"Gee, chere. Didna even know dat was possible."  
"Gee, chere. Didna even know dat was possible." Angela mimicked, doing her best imitation of the man she loved.  
"Dat cut real deep. Remy t'inks you should make it up to 'im." He raised his eyebrow suggestively.  
"An' how does 'Remy' suggest Ah do that?"  
"Maybe a little midnight skinny-dippin' in de Atlantic?"  
Angela placed her hand on Remy's cheek and blushed when her turned his head to kiss her palm. "Now you know Ah cain't do that, shugah."  
"An' why not?"  
"Cuz' if Ah do that, Bobby always finds out, an' he'll do somethin' to the water, ya know he will."  
"Have you gotten him back yet?"  
"Naw. Ah cain't think of anythin' good."  
Remy raised eyes to the ceiling, thoughtfully. After awhile, he returned them to Angela with a mischievous sparkle. "I have an idea."  
  
Aurora watched in awe as Scott battled the computer-generated Sentinel. He delivered the final blow by shooting plasma out of his visor and cutting through the robot's spinal column. As the robot fell, the program ended and Scott leaned over to catch his breath.  
"If you don't mind, I'd like you to do this program as well." The professor said.  
"Me?" Aurora put her hand to her chest. "You're kidding, right?"  
"Surprisingly, I'm not. I want you to show me exactly what you did to that Sentinel in Canada. That is, if you feel strong enough..."  
"Actually, yeah, I am. Let's do this."  
  
Standing in the center of the large metal room, the "Danger Room" as they called it, Aurora began to have second thoughts. The blue and yellow spandex cat suit they had given her to wear itched terribly and made her self-conscious, as if she were standing in front of the two men naked.  
"Are you ready?" Scott said over the intercom. Aurora gave him the thumbs up and she was suddenly in a forest. She stood still, collecting her bearings, and heard heavy, metallic footfalls. They continued to get louder. Sinking into a squat, she placed her hand and the ground. The footsteps were coming from her left. She rose and began to form a shield around her.  
She walked toward the source of the reverberations, foliage and flowers parting around her shield. A blast of plasma scorched the ground next to her, causing her to jump, despite the fact that as of that moment, she was invincible. Spying the Sentinel towering above her, she swept her arms up and over her head Her shield detached and crashed into the robot's shin. As he fell, a plasma beam nicked her upper arm. She was surprised at how muck it hurt. For some reason, she had assumed that the image could not do any physical damage.  
Unfortunately, for the hologram, the pain increased her adrenaline. She raised her hands and violet spikes protruded for the tips of her fingers. Charging the fallen enemy, she slashed a hole into the array of wires. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Pretty soon, all of the nerves and lifeline wires began to jump, short-circuiting the system. The sentinel shut down in a whirr of dying motors.  
All at once, the projection disappeared. Aurora fell to her knees and put her hands on her face. The doors opened behind her with a whoosh and Scott, now dressed in street clothes, jogged up to her. Leaning over, he placed his hand on her back.  
"Are you alright?" he asked. Aurora removed her hands and nodded as she looked up at him. "I know. The first session is always the hardest."  
  
Aurora got back to her room after supper. Once again, she had eaten with Beast and Cecilia. She had actually been too wired to eat and had just pushed her food around her plate. After her Danger Room session, the professor had offered her a place on a team called the X-men. She got a hundred dollars per mission for risking her butt. Against her better judgment, she took the job. She had two weeks to settle in and she was to start school the coming Monday.  
To calm her nerves, she changed into some pajamas and went out on the balcony. The breeze ruffled her hair as she cautiously approached the balustrade. She leaned on it and looked out over the estate. Her room was on the back of the school and she could see a lot from her position.  
Below her was an Olympic-size swimming pool. Just beyond that she could see a small stream with a swinging rope at the edge of a wood. Off to her right was a cliff and she saw the sun setting over the ocean.  
There was a lot of noise coming form the rooms next door but it didn't ruin the moment. She was finally at her destination and it felt good.  
  
After dinner, Angela spotted Bobby and said goodbye to Remy. Bobby was walking away from the kitchen with Sam.  
"Bobby, Ah need t' talk t' ya." Angela said, grabbing his arm.  
"Bye, Sam." Bobby yelled as he was dragged away.  
Angela stopped in front of a supply closet and pulled Bobby inside. It was completely dark in there and Bobby fumbled for the switch. The single bulb in the center of the ceiling illuminated to reveal Angela leaning against the uncovered wall in a short, green miniskirt and a button up top. The top two buttons were undone and Angela breathed in deeply. "Bobby. Do you think Ah'm sexy?" Bobby's eyes were drawn to her neckline.  
"Y-yes." He stammered. Angela detached her form from the wall and sauntered over to him.  
"What if I were to tell you," She reached up to brush a lock of hair out of Bobby's eyes, leaning up against him. "That Ah think you are incredibly sexy."  
Angela kissed Bobby, activating enough of her powers to drain his and not let him know it. He pulled away.  
"What about Gambit? And Tori?"  
Angela placed her hands on his chest. "Ah won't tell if you don't tell. What they don't know won't hurt them."  
Bobby shrugged his shoulders and smiled, "Okay. Now where were we?"  
He tried to put his arms back around her but she pulled away.  
"Actually, Bobby," Angela began, "Ah have a better idea. It's getting' pretty dark out. How about some midnight skinny-dippin'?"  
"Let's go." Bobby grabbed her hand and pushed open the door. He made sure the hallway was empty before he ran to the doors to the pool, pulling Angela behind him.  
The lights were off around the pool and the two quietly approached the ladder.  
"You first." Angela kissed Bobby again, stealing more of his power, and watched him strip to nothing and jump into the pool.  
Before Bobby surfaced, Angela gathered all of Bobby's clothes and tossed them back into the mansion.  
"Your turn, Angela." He said, shivering. "The water isn't that cold." He watched as she walked over to the box for the lights and switched them on.  
"Looks like Ah'm not the only one who is affected by the cold, huh, Bobby? This is what you get when you mess with me!" She walked over to the fire alarm and pulled it down, hard. Students began to pile out of the mansion and laughed when they saw Bobby. He huddled in the center of the pool, covering his nakedness, and shivered sadly. Sam finally threw Bobby's clothes into the pool and Bobby got out in waterlogged clothing.  
As he walked through the crowd, Sam at his side, he saw Angela give Gambit a high five and a hug. Gambit pointed over in Bobby's direction and Angela turned. They both waved at Bobby, huge smiles on their faces, and began to laugh hysterically.  
Bobby returned with a death glare. Turning to Sam, he growled, "This means war." Not receiving a reaction, he put his mouth next to Sam's ear and screamed, "SAM!"  
Sam's attention snapped back to his comrade. "Dude, don't go screamin' in mah ear! What do ya want?"  
"I have declared war upon Angela." He said, affecting a Napolean-esque air.  
"Now why would you go an' do a thang like that?"  
"Because I can. What were you looking at anyway?"  
"Nothing. Let's get out of here. It's frickin' cold." Sam started to walk faster. Bobby looked where Sam had been looking. That girl he had met earlier, ---what was her name? ---Aurora, was standing in her pajamas near the school. Bobby smiled a little and followed Sam back inside.  
  
Well, that's the fourth chapter. I know, I know. A lot of it was just meaningless junk but, eh, what can you do? I love Sam. He's so cute. I'm not sure how long it will take for me to get up the next chapter but review and it might come faster. o Anyway, Peace out. SHUGIE 


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